April 8, 2008

The last few weeks John Calipari, Memphis basketball coach, has declared war on the media. Anytime anyone in the media has brought up the free-throw situation to Calipari he has done his best to rip them to pieces and go on the defensive. Do yourself a favor and watch these videos so you lose all respect that you once had for John Calipari.

Here is an interview with a guy on ESPN news, and you almost have to feel bad for the guy. Johnny boy tore him to shreds.

Here is a separate video of Calipari interviewing with ‘Mike and the Mad Dog’. Calipari avoided the free-throw talk and instead mentioned D.J. Augustin throwing up a free-throw air ball at the end of Texas’ loss to Memphis. Calipari then proceeds to tell this radio guy that if one of his players (specifically Derrick Rose) misses a game winning free-throw than he’d buy him dinner. Last night with 10.8 seconds left in the game, Rose missed a free-throw that would have given Memphis a four-point lead and likely put the game out of reach for Kansas.

April 8, 2008

Let’s face it: no team is perfect in college basketball, and this year (especially) there was no definitive dominant team for the whole tournament. UNC dominated their first four opponents, but then they folded. Memphis had supposedly overcome their free throw problem, at least until last night when the law of averages came to life. Davidson seemed like it couldn’t be stopped until Stephen Curry’s big shots stopped falling against Kansas. And Kansas; the Kansas Jayhawks almost fell to the cinderella #10 seed in the Elite 8 and definitely showed it’s vulnerability almost blowing their 28 point first-half lead. It was clear that no team had been perfect this March, but somebody had to win.

The Kansas Jayhawks stepped up and did what they had to do and that’s really all that matters. KU shoot over 52% from the field during five of their six tournament games, and more impressively held their opponents to pretty horrible field goal percentages with their solid defense. With six seniors and Brandon Rush leaving, there is no doubt KU will have their work cut out for them next year. But that’s next year. They can worry about that later.

As for Mario Chalmers’ three pointer that tied the game, 63-63, with 2.1 seconds – that’s what greatness is made of.

April 2, 2008

With this year’s Final Four set as four number one seeds the upsets are done for the rest of this college basketball season. The clock has struck twelve for this year’s cinderella teams, but here is my first annual All-Underdog Team of the 2008 NCAA tournament. This list consists of players from teams that pulled off at least one upset this year and proved pivotal to their squad.

MY STARTING FIVEStephen Curry – #10 Davidson (guard)Steph Curry is the one that everyone has been talking about and rightfully so; he has been something special, especially as of late. In his four games in the NCAA’s Curry averaged 32 points per game along with 5.7 three pointers. He took big shot after big shot and until late in the Kansas loss a lot of these shots fell for him. NBA Draftee, anyone?

Scottie Reynolds – #12 Villanova (guard)
In Villanova’s two big wins Reynolds averaged 23 points per contest on over 50% from the field. Don’t forget that the ‘Cats were down big in their first game against Clemson and Reynolds was a big part of the second half comeback.

Tyrone Brazelton – #12 Western Kentucky (guard)
Brazelton scored 79 points during Western Kentcuky’s three tourney games including a career-high 33 points in the Hilltoppers’ exciting 101-99 first round win over favorite Drake. Brazelton stayed consistent during the tournament and contributed in almost every statistical category.

Sonny Weems – #9 Arkansas (forward)

Weems really hadn’t played well since the beginning of March for the Razorbacks, but that all changed when he took the court against the #8 seeded Indiana Hoosiers. In Arkansas’ first round win he managed to rack up a career high 31 points on an amazing 12 of 14 from the field.

Gyno Pomare – #13 San Diego (forward/center)
Junior player Gyno Pomare had a great tournament with 42 points on a 77% field goal percentage in San Diego’s two games in the NCAA. He was also a big part of containing the #4 seed Connecticut Huskie’s forward line.

THE RESERVES

Michael Beasley – #11 Kansas State (forward)

Nothing in the tournament changed for Mr. Beasley as he was himself averaging a double-double in K-State’s two tourney games. Simply put, Michael Beasley can have an off game, and yet still accumulate numbers that would be other guys’ best career games; that’s how good he is.

Kenny Hasbrouck – #13 Sienna (guard)
Hasbrouck really took charge of Sienna’s big upset over #4 seeded Vanderbilt. In the first round win, he scored 30 points and sank all ten free throws that he shot. He was also a big reason that the Sienna Saints were able to hang tough with Villanova for so long in the second round.